


Emotions and Math

by k0nbiniprinc3ss (force_bound)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Graduate School, Locked In, Pseudo-History, Quarantine, Work In Progress, i got a lot of freetime fml, my whole state is on lockdown, will probably turn to smut eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23225386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/force_bound/pseuds/k0nbiniprinc3ss
Summary: Rey is a history PhD student, starting her first year of coursework at Ach-To University. Ben Solo is an ABD PhD candidate in her department who apparently has it out for her guts. When Rey comes over to Ben's apartment to confront him, they're forced to quarantine together after someone in Ben's building tests positive for coronavirus.Mayhem ensues
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Emotions and Math

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a tweet prompt where Ben is Rey’s physical therapist and they’;re stuck together in quarantine. I don’t know anything about physical therapy. I know slightly more about PhD programs and the world of academic history.

“Rey, you can’t be serious right now,” Rose’s voice crackled through the other end of the line, “You’re not even supposed to be out of your apartment right now!” 

Rey let out a deep breath as placed her cellphone between her shoulder, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. 

“No, this ends tonight. Ben Solo is insane, and I’m not taking his bullshit anymore.”

Ben Solo. Just the sound of that man’s name spiked Rey’s pulse. Sure enough, when she met him, he seemed like just another innocuous, albeit pretentious, PhD student. When Rey had visited Ach-to University for the history department’s Admitted Students weekend, he seemed fairly average. Sure he was the size of a redwood tree and had enough mass to make Rey’s gaze gravitate to him, but he had barely spoken outside of his introduction and to answer a few questions about funding and department policies. They must have had him under some spell then, Rey reasoned, because when she arrived on campus last fall Ben turned into a monster.

Ben was the TA in her Foundations of History course, wherein he apparently enjoyed his power a little too much. Every single paper she turned in never granted her anything higher than a B, and she turned in good work damnit. Grading, apparently, was this man’s kink, as Rey’s essays were riddled with tiny red marks, and she could practically see the glee radiating from a page laden with red ink. Every time Rey saw Ben, the rage in her built a little more. Until it got to the point where every proofreading session she had with the man turned into an exercise in not hurtling a textbook at his head. 

Then it really snowballed. 

What first started out as a heated disagreement about methodology at a department luncheon had turned into all out war. During class and department functions, Rey could literally feel the back of her head frying from Ben’s glare. He didn’t even avert his eyes when Rey turned around to return his stink eye. 

It wasn’t just the creepy ass staring. She had to hand it to Ben - he found creative ways of being an asshole. Like taking up her favorite study space in the graduate student lounge or loudly interrogating her in front of her cohorts whenever she was more than 5 seconds late for class. She retaliated by telling his advisor, Dr. Skywalker, Ben was slacking on his TA duties and actively wasted time during their proofreading sessions, and he seemed more than happy to loudly chew Ben out in his office.

This time, however, Ben had gone way too far. The day before, Rey heard him occasions, tensely muttering to the head of the department, and swore she could make out “Rey” and “comes from nothing” and “cutting funding.” Rey had nearly killed herself in undergrad to get this program, and she was nearly killing herself with the effort right now. No fucking way was she going to let Ben edge her out now. 

“Rey,” Rose’s stern voice bringing her back to earth, “I’m not joking. Besides the fact that either you or him or both are going to get arrested for attempted murder, we have orders to be on lockdown.” 

Rey slammed her door with force. She shoved her key in the door and gave it a twist that was harder than strictly necessary. 

“If one or both of us get locked up, at least we don’t have to see each other.”

“Jesus fuck Rey-”

“Bye, Rose!”

Rey skittered down the steps from her apartment, and began the walk to Ben’s building.

Rey got Ben’s address after furiously texting - and maybe threatening - another student who lived in the graduate housing a block over. When she got to his door, she pounded it like her life depended on it. 

A startled and clearly sleep deprived Ben answered the door, in a black sweater and sweatpants. 

“Rey, what are you doing here?” He asked, taking a deep swig of whatever was in his mug. 

Rey simply huffed and stepped inside. 

“Uh, ok. Yeah. Just come inside.”

Ben strode back to his desk and leaned against it. 

“How can I help you?”

Rey stared him straight in the eye: “What’s your fucking problem?”

“Excuse me?” 

Rey took a deep breath, trying to prevent her voice from cracking. 

“You’re trying to get me kicked out of the department. I heard you, yesterday, talking to Dr. Holdo about cutting my funding!”  
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Ben’s voice grew more tense with each word. 

“You all know I can barely survive with the stipend I’m getting! And you’re trying to make it so that I can’t stay in this program anymore!” Rey was practically screaming at this point

“You’re the one who’s been trying to get me kicked out!” Ben stood up, edging closer to Rey. His eyes were positively livid as they bore into hers, “I know you’re the one who made the complaint to Skywalker. Did you not think he had enough reason to hate me?” 

“Those proof reading sessions are a joke and you k-”

“And you’re listening to my private conversations now? Just because I gave you one B- doesn’t mean you can invade my privacy to try and ruin my career” 

“I-”

Ben stood up from his desk and walked closer, towering over her as she backed into the wall. In such close proximity she couldn’t help but notice his lips were abnormally pink and plush-

Suddenly, Ben’s phone started ringing. He backed out of her face enough to pick it up.

“What?!” Ben barked into his phone, nearly panting from the heat of the moment. 

Rey swallowed thickly and did not notice his wide chest heaving under his sweater. And she especially did not think about other activities that could make him breathe so heavily. 

“No, you’re kidding,” Ben retorted to whomever was on the line, face going pale, “Are they alright? What’s going to happen to the rest of us?”

Ben started chewing on his fingernails, muttering to the line as he got more information. He had gone from positively livid to defeated in a minute.

“Fine. Thank you, bye.” He turned off his phone and face rey. 

“What’s going on?” Rey asked, her voice was surprisingly soft.

“Someone in my building just tested for coronavirus,” he swallowed, “we’re being quarantined. No one is being allowed in or out of the building”

Tested positive? Quarantined? What the fuck? How the fuck was Rey going to get work done? Would she still be able to visit her advisor? What about the library book that was due next week? How was she going to get food? Who would water the plants in her apartment? 

Her apartment. Which was over a mile away. 

It dawned on Rey, she had to spend two weeks in Ben’s apartment, alone with him. 

No fucking way that was happening.

“This is fucking ridiculous, they can’t just keep us from leaving the building,” Ben muttered to himself. He leaned back on his desk and started white knuckling it so hard Rey would be surprised if it didn’t start to splinter. The dawn of the realization hung heavy in the air between them. 

“I can’t stay here.” Rey blurted through the tension “I have to leave somehow.” 

“For once, we agree on something. You need to leave. However, the head of housing just informed me we’re not permitted to leave this building under any circumstances.”

Fuck fucking shit. God damn it.

“Do you know anyone else who lives in this building? Do you have a friend you can stay with?”

Rey shook her head.

“No, the closest person I know is a block away.”

“Fuck,” Ben looked at her, “I guess you’re staying here now.” 

“I don’t have any of my shit!” Rey spluttered, “I just have my backpack.”

“Well, that’s going to have to make do.”

“No. I’m leaving. I don’t give a fuck if Dean Organa bodyslams me to the door herself”

Rey grabbed her backpack from the floor and started striding to the entrance. 

Ben reached out and grabbed her bicep with a surprisingly firm grip, “We both know you can’t do that. You know what would happen if you left.” 

Rey stopped and worried her lip between her teeth. He was right. Maz, her next door neighbor, was well over 65. At least of one the kids living down stairs had asthma. And who knows who the hell she could possibly infect if she went out for supplies? 

Damn it. Rey shook her arm from Ben’s grasp and defeatedly sunk into the floor. Two weeks with the galaxy's biggest asshole.

All she could do was survive the next two weeks with him. She just wasn’t confident Ben would.

**Author's Note:**

> Not Beta'd because I'm lonely and have no friends


End file.
